Invest to Protect Act of 2022 This bill directs the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice to award grants to local and tribal governments that employ fewer than 125 law enforcement officers. Grant funds may be used for various activities, including to provide de-escalation training and improve recruitment and retention.
National Liberty Memorial Preservation Act This bill extends through FY2027 the authority of the National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to establish a memorial on eligible federal land to honor the slaves and free Black persons who served as soldiers and sailors or provided civilian assistance during the American Revolution.
Break the Cycle of Violence Act This bill establishes federal grant programs and related entities to support violence intervention initiatives. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for coordinated community violence intervention initiatives in communities disproportionately impacted by homicides and community violence. HHS must also establish several related entities, including an Office of Community Violence Intervention to administer programs and activities related to violence intervention; the Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee to advise and assist the office and HHS; and the National Community Violence Response Center to provide training and technical assistance, coordinate research, and develop data collection policies. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants for job training and workforce programs in communities disproportionately affected by gun violence to connect youth ages 16 to 24 to in-demand occupations.
This concurrent resolution authorizes the state of Missouri to use the rotunda of the Capitol on September 29, 2022, for a ceremony to present the statue of Harry S. Truman from the people of Missouri for placement in the rotunda.
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the Council on Environmental Quality titled National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations Revisions and published on April 20, 2022. The rule restores regulatory provisions issued under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) that were in effect before being modified in 2020 by the Update to the Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act rule.
Countering Untrusted Telecommunications Abroad Act This bill requires the Department of State to address the use of untrusted telecommunications equipment (and services). It also requires certain securities issuers to disclose the use of such equipment. The State Department must provide support, such as diplomatic and political support, for certain telecommunications infrastructure projects that have the potential to promote U.S. national security interests. Furthermore, a securities issuer that is required to file annual or quarterly reports with the Securities Exchange Commission must periodically disclose whether it used or contracted to use telecommunications equipment deemed by the Federal Communications Commission to pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security or the security and safety of U.S. persons. The disclosure must contain certain information, including whether the equipment is being used in a mobile network run by the issuer. The State Department must report to Congress on (1) the prevalence of such telecommunications equipment in the networks of U.S. allies and partners, and (2) the use of such telecommunications equipment in U.S. embassies and by embassy staff and personnel.
Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act This bill imposes visa- and property-blocking sanctions on foreign persons (i.e., individuals or entities) that are involved in certain actions that threaten the peace, stability, or democracy of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The President must impose such sanctions on certain foreign persons, including those that are responsible for or engaged in corruption or certain acts or policies that seek to (1) threaten the peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina; (2) undermine democratic processes or institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina; or (3) undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement or certain authorities related to the agreement. (The agreement brought an end to the Bosnian War, and Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitution stems in part from the agreement.) The Department of the Treasury may impose certain prohibitions and restrictions on a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates a significant transaction for a foreign person subject to sanctions under this bill.
This resolution applauds and expresses support for the continued cooperation between the United States and the European Union in thwarting Hezbollah's terrorist activities. It also urges the European Union to designate Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization.
Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act of 2021 This bill establishes, modifies, and expands certain whistleblower protections for federal employees, including with respect to petitions to Congress, whistleblower identity, and protected disclosures. For example, the bill prohibits personnel action against employees who exercise their right to petition or furnish information to Congress and specifically precludes the President, Members of Congress, members of the uniformed services, and other federal employees from interfering with this right. It also generally prohibits employees from disclosing the identity of whistleblowers to individuals outside of the government and allows the Inspector General to determine whether to investigate a referral if the referral is found to have been made in retaliation for whistleblowing activity. Employees may request corrective action from the Merit Systems Protection Board with respect to such prohibited practices and may file an action in court if the board does not render a final decision within 180 days of a request. The bill also expands the list of recipients to whom an employee may make a protected disclosure to include a supervisor in the employee's direct chain of command. It also includes personnel actions involving furloughs of more than 14 days but less than 30 days, and furloughs of 13 days or less that are not due to funding lapses, as appealable adverse actions that are subject to certain procedural requirements.
Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2022 This bill establishes several requirements and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards, including the ability to provide real-time decisions in response to requests for items and services that are routinely approved; (2) annually publish specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.
Wildfire Recovery Act This bill makes changes with respect to the federal cost share for Fire Management Assistance Grants and provides that the federal share shall be not less than 75% of the eligible cost. Specifically, the bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct and complete a rulemaking to provide criteria for the circumstances under which FEMA may recommend that the President increase the federal cost share. Such criteria shall include a threshold metric that assesses the financial impact to a state or local government from responding to a fire for which fire management assistance is being provided.
This resolution remembers Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her more than 70 years of service in support of the British people and the Commonwealth of Nations. The resolution also expresses gratitude to Queen Elizabeth II for her efforts to maintain strong bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and the United States. Finally, the resolution extends condolences to the family of Queen Elizabeth II, to the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and to the peoples of the Commonwealth of Nations.
